Surprised there aren't more comments on this, given the number of votes its received. So I'll share something. I was always a bit of a weird one growing up, es

Surprised there aren't more comments on this, given the number of votes its received. So I'll share something. I was always a bit of a weird one growing up, especially in high school. I got picked on a bit by various groups, sometimes even by other picked-on kids that wanted to assert themselves. None of it was that severe and there were kids that had it worse. I had friends, and I got along with most people, but I was always a little bit of an outsider, and even my friends thought I was weird. I never fit in with any one group. But I always felt like it was them that was f'ed up, not me. I never really lost confidence that I was okay, and that I was okay being myself, although it was lonely at times. Looking back I think it affected me more than I realize, because I was pretty anti-social for a while in my late-teen years. I don't have any friends from high school or earlier that I really keep in touch with. Things started to get better in my second year of college, and I can honestly say that they've gotten better each year since. I moved away from my home state as soon as I finished college, and it's made all the difference. I couldn't be happier with my adult life, I have a lovely family, a good job and lots of friends. Sometimes I think that if I had fit in better as a kid I might have stayed close to home and missed out on the experiences that I've had as an adult. I don't think I'd change a thing. So I would say to any kid that it's okay to be weird or different; embrace it and don't let anyone make you feel bad about it.